2026 DoD Pay Tables · 3.8% Raise · All Branches · Active & Reserve
Duty Status
Rank Category
Pay Grade & Rank
Years of Service
Duty Station (for BAH)
Filing & Dependency
Est. Monthly Take-Home
$4,671
$56,047/year
Gross Monthly
$5,122
$61,461/year
Equivalent Civilian Salary
$67,748
A civilian needs this gross salary to match your take-home
Eff. Tax Rate
8.8%
E-5 · 4 YOS · Fort Liberty (Bragg) / Fayetteville, NC
Basic Pay (Base Pay)
Varies by grade and years of service
$3,161
BAH — Fort Liberty (Bragg) / Fayetteville, NC
Housing allowance · without dependents
$1,488
BAS (Basic Allowance for Subsistence)
Enlisted rate · $473.22/mo
$473
Gross Monthly
$5,122
Tax-Free Income (BAH + BAS)
$1,961
Taxable Income
$3,161
Federal Income Tax
−$209/mo
FICA (Soc. Security 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)
−$242/mo
Est. Take-Home Monthly
$4,671
Tax Advantage
$235/mo saved
You save $2,824/year in federal taxes because BAH & BAS are excluded from taxable income.
Gross Annual
$61,461
Take-Home
$56,047
Tax-Free Allow.
$23,535
Taxes Paid
$5,414
BAH — Housing
$1,488/mo · Tax-Free
Covers off-base housing costs. Rates are set by ZIP code of duty station and updated annually. Higher in expensive metros like San Diego & DC.
BAS — Food
$473/mo · Tax-Free
Basic Allowance for Subsistence covers food costs. Enlisted: $473.22 · Officer: $326.14 (2026 rates, adjusted annually to food-at-home CPI).
Estimates based on 2026 DoD pay tables (3.8% raise effective Jan 1, 2026). Does not include state taxes, TSP contributions, SGLI premiums, or other deductions. Verify at mypay.dfas.mil or your unit finance office.
Updated for the 3.8% pay raise effective January 1, 2026 and the 4.2% BAH increase.
Congress approved a 3.8% across-the-board basic pay increase effective January 1, 2026 — the largest raise in over two decades. The 2026 BAH rates also increased by an average of 4.2%, and BAS rates were adjusted upward to track the food-at-home Consumer Price Index.
An E-5 (Sergeant/Petty Officer 2nd Class) earns $2,849.40/month in base pay with under 4 years of service in 2026. With BAH for a duty station like San Diego (with dependents: ~$3,312/mo) and BAS ($473/mo tax-free), total monthly compensation can exceed $6,600.
BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) is based on your pay grade (E or O), dependency status (with or without dependents), and duty station ZIP code. Rates are set to cover median rental costs in each market. The 2026 national average BAH increase was 4.2%. Use this calculator to look up your exact rate.
No. BAH and BAS are both 100% tax-free — no federal income tax, no FICA. Only basic pay and some special pays (like aviation career incentive pay) are taxable. This makes your effective military compensation significantly higher than a civilian salary of the same gross number.
Reserve and Guard members are paid 1/30th of active duty monthly base pay per Drill Period (4 hours). A standard 2-day weekend drill (IDT) equals 4 drill periods = 4/30ths of monthly base pay. Annual Training (AT) is paid at full active duty rates plus BAH and BAS.
Gross pay includes base pay + all allowances. But federal income tax and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) are only withheld from base pay — not from BAH or BAS. Your actual take-home is often 85–92% of gross pay for most enlisted ranks, since the tax-free allowances make up a large portion of total compensation.
Active duty members are paid twice monthly: the 1st and 15th of each month (or the preceding business day if those fall on a weekend or holiday). Reserve members are typically paid within a few days of completing drill. Log in to myPay at mypay.dfas.mil to view your exact LES and pay schedule.
The FY2026 NDAA included additional targeted increases for junior enlisted (E-1 through E-4) on top of the 3.8% baseline, raising E-1 through E-3 pay by over 14% compared to 2023 levels. This was part of Congress's effort to close the civilian pay gap for the lowest-paid service members.